Al Stephens

After almost 20 years of high-production industry work in St. Louis, MO, Al Stephens discovered the art of blacksmithing while on a visit to an historic Illinois site.

Volunteering in his park's 19th century blacksmith shop trained him in time-honored techniques that earned him full-time blacksmithing employment. His success in creating contemporary hand-forged items has extended from retail to gallery settings.

This diverse background of trade work, historic technique and modern shop knowledge serves as the foundation for his one-of-a-kind, hand-forged steel items.

In 2000, Stephens launched his own shop in Pennsylvania. Currently, his home and shop are based in Alabama.